Using a Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Approach for Assessing Vulnerabilities Downstream of Dams

Author

• Michael J. Englert, Utah State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

8-2026

Degree Type

Report

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Environment and Society

Committee Chair(s)

Courtney Flint

Committee

Courtney Flint

Committee

Elise Laugier

Committee

Blake Tullis

Abstract

Dam failure is rare, but when it occurs the consequences can extend far beyond the structure of the dam itself. This project assessed vulnerabilities downstream of Utah’s 189 state-regulated, high-hazard dams using a Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS) approach. The purpose of the project was to look beyond engineering and structural risk alone and identify the people, protected ecosystems, critical infrastructure, and land cover types located within mapped dam inundation zones.

Potential inundation zone maps were obtained from the Utah Division of Water Rights Dam Safety Section. They were processed using ArcGIS Pro and integrated with publicly available nationwide geospatial datasets to identify potential vulnerable elements. Social variables included estimated population, Social Vulnerability Index values, and rural-urban setting. Ecological variables included intersections between the inundation zone and protected areas, particularly those areas classified as GAP Status 1 and Status 2 representing greater protection for biodiversity. Technological variables represented critical infrastructure and included hospitals, aviation facilities, power plants, wastewater treatment plants, hazardous waste sites, major roads, railroads, natural gas pipelines, and transmission lines. These vulnerable entities were geospatially intersected with the inundation zones of each dam to create datasets of downstream vulnerabilities within each inundation zone. These data sets were summarized at the dam level and organized into three main products: a vulnerability matrix, a dam attribute matrix, and a land cover matrix. This project also involved management of the development of a web-based dashboard associated with an NSF-funded project called the Institute for Geospatial Understanding through an Integrated Discovery Environment (I-GUIDE) to make the vulnerability matrix more widely available, sortable, filterable, and easier to use. This project was developed as a prototype based on 189 state-regulated, high-risk dams in Utah.

Results from Utah show that downstream vulnerability is usually multi-dimensional rather than isolated to a single domain. Most dams had associated social and technological vulnerabilities, while a smaller group included social, ecological, and technological vulnerabilities. Ecological exposure was less common overall and was usually tied to small sections of protected areas that bordered streams, wetlands and other areas water would normally flow through. Technological vulnerability was strongly shaped by linear infrastructure, especially roads and transmission lines. Findings related to land cover types and dam attributes are also summarized in this report. Overall, this project provides a repeatable geospatial workflow and communication tool for identifying downstream vulnerabilities and supporting dam safety planning, agency communication, and future decision-making in Utah and beyond.

Comments

See attached files for full copies of the Vulnerability Matrix, Dam Attribute Matrix, and Land Cover Matrix for the 189 high-hazard dams in Utah. 

Recommended Citation

Englert, Michael J., "Using a Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Approach for Assessing Vulnerabilities Downstream of Dams" (2026). All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present. 161.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports2023/161